Cycle race chiefs in talks over return of London stage

Tour de France organisers today began trying to hammer out a deal to see a stage of the race return to London without any sign of a breakthrough in the bitter rift which could threaten this year’s event.

No dates have yet been fixed but after the capital’s successful staging of last year’s opening Grand Depart, a stage could be on the cards by 2010 with the Grand Depart returning after the London 2012 Olympics.